Bass Gear Review

Reviewer	Lan Nichols, 25 yrs. exp.
Manufacturer	Ampeg
Model	B-50R Rocket Bass Combo
Price	$249 used

Dimensions	18.25 x 20.5 x 12.5
Wattage	50 watts RMS
Speaker(s)	12" speaker
EQ	Bass, low mid, high mid, treble.
Effects	n/a
Controls	Volume, power switch, 1/4" input, headphone out.
Other	1/4" line out on rear panel

This is a solid-built, vintage-look combo that can take a physical beating. Chicken head knobs are recessed in top panel of the amp. Nice, beefy blue(leather?)handle and very cool blue diamond tolex wrap covers the entire box. It provides a tough surface, but hard scuffs will show (I purchased a Tuki nylon cover for mine). Chrome faceplate, corners and nameplate with silver grill cloth in front. Line-out jack is recessed in back but has limited access, so you'll likely need a 90 deg. plug to connect it up. Hefty cord, but recessed area in back of amp just barely contains it during transport. Get a velcro tie for it. These are minor complaints - overall, very good construction. The thing looks very tough just standing still. Impressive gain characteristics here. The volume knob has excellent sensitivity from 0 up to about 8. At that point the volume levels off at the high end. I've played my electric, acoustic and upright basses through this combo and carried high-ceilinged clubs with the volume set between 3 & 5. For its size, wattage and 12" speaker, this combo is well-focused at most levels. My acoustic-electric Fender & Washburn respond especially well, but even the Washburn will give low-end feedback at higher volume levels. The EQ and tone controls exhibit a wide-range of tonal character. The bass and low-mid knobs will fatten-up any bass you plug into the B-50R, but be careful not to overdo it lest you start burping the woofer. High-mid and treble controls usually get rolled off significantly on my amp. Passive and active basses will play a role in this as well. I've even run my SansAmp Bass DI on the front end of this combo and gotten a killer fat tube tone. You can 'feel' the tone in this amp. Nice. The dimensions of the B-50R allow it to fit into the back seat of your car or in the corner of a small club stage. The weight is a bit hefty at 48 lbs., but manageable. The top handle is balanced, but mounted somewhat high (not really a travel problem). In all, a very good combo package. At $249 used, this is the smartest money I've ever spent on a small combo. Current list price will be higher. I'd buy another one in a minute, no questions asked. Not surprisingly, Bass Player magazine raved about this box in its Small Combo Shootout issue last spring. Other small combos have a lot going for them (SWR, G-K, Eden, etc.) but this one carries the banner for 'bang-for-the-buck'.

Construction	70%
Loudness	75%
Clarity	85%
Tone	85%
Size/Bulkiness	80%
Value	90%
Overall	81%